“You excited about the SuperBowl this weekend?” I ask.
“I used to be a football nut, but couldn’t give a rat’s ass about it now.” He replied.
“Why don’t you like it anymore?” I inquired.
“I just lost interest when they started making all that money. Here I am busting my butt all day long, and they are making more money than I’ll ever see in a lifetime, all for playing a game!
“Oh, I see.”
But to be honest, I didn’t really “see” his point.
This was a conversation that I had yesterday with a man in his late 40’s, clearly a few generations removed from the “glory days” of the NFL. Sure I could agree with him that athletes get paid an ungodly amount of money for being able run fast, hit hard, and catch a ball. (Gilbert Arenas just got suspended last week for the rest of the NBA season without pay. He’s losing $100k a game. A game. That hurts, I don’t care who you are. ).
But it is pointless to look at the money that is being made, and compare that to the actual activity that is being done. These will never equal, ever. The janitor will always make less than the administrative assistant, who will make less than the project manager, who will make less than the assistant VP, who will make less than the CEO. This is in spite of of how mentally, physically, or emotionally taxing each position is. There is no law that says you have to do something “difficult” to get paid well. The fact is, those who put themselves in situations where they can get seriously paid, for doing something “easy” are not lazy, or undeserving. They are actually smart. Apparently they are even smarter than you.
Before you try to google my address to come throw golf balls through my window because you are offended by that statement, think about it. How could they not be smarter than you? Let’s look at the average player, making the average salary. According to Wikipedia.com, the median salary in 2009 is $770k, and the average career is 3yrs. All you charter school kids can do the math and find that it equals over $2.3 million. That kid is 26 years old, retired, with a couple million in the bank (What? You don’t think they actually save the money?). Now here comes the painful part…compare that to where you are. Go ahead, quickly take stock of your life, and tell me, who looks like the smarter one? The 26yr old with a paid-for education and millions in the bank? Or you, the 26 to 36 year old dude that is thousands in debt, and hasn’t read a book since the days of required reading? I think you get my point.
Now before you go quoting stats of how many NFL players end up bankrupt or in financial distress within 2 years after retirement (it’s 78% according to Sports Illustrated by the way), I want you to see the point. Because, believe it or not, the point is not that athletes are smarter than you are. Some of them probably are, and some are definitely not (I don’t have to insert Plaxico Burress’ name here, but it is too obvious), case and point, Plaxico Burress (I take it back, I had to do it). The point is that the reason the athletes make so much money is because they do something that is in high demand, and there is a low supply of people that can perform on the level that they can. It is as simple as economics can get. Some guy who runs a 4.4 second 40 yard dash is in high demand, because there are more people who like to watch that guy run, than can actually run (they probably run more like a 40 second 4 yard dash).
Take then in contrast the argument of “all the teachers who get paid so little compared to the outrageous salaries of athletes.” Here’s a simple personal test you can use to diffuse this ridiculous statement: How many girls did you meet in college that were majoring in some form of education? Exactly, every other girl that you tried to hit on was learning to teach.
Supply is high & demand is not = teachers get paid small amounts of money.
I’m not saying that it is fair, or is the way they should be. I’m just saying that is the way it is.
So, what does this mean for you? Surely I’m not suggesting that you hit the weight room in hopes of being invited to The Combine this spring? No, I’m not. I’m also not necessarily suggesting that you have to get into the exact profession that is going to be in high demand in the next decade. After all, four years ago everyone was clamoring to be a mortgage broker, these days that occupation barely exists.
However, what you can do is create demand for yourself. You can make yourself into someone that your current or future employer cannot afford to lose. The more demand there is for you and you’re your qualities, the more money you can command. That sounds pretty good right? So what does creating demand for you in your career look like? It looks like this:
-Be good at what you do (So what if you are awesome at fantasy football and beer pong, is that what your employer pays you for?).
-Be reliable (a company will always keep someone around that will actually do what they say they will do, when they say they will do it).
-Be punctual (every time you are late you are telling the other person that you are more important than they are).
-Be a sharp dresser (Not someone that changes their style with every season, not a flashy dresser, but someone who knows what they look good in, and what they do not).
This clearly not an exhaustive list, and as simple as these tips sound, they are difficult to practice on a regular basis. When they are mastered, however, you will be on the way to creating demand for yourself and for your skills. I encourage you to take this weekend and come up with one step for improving in each of these areas, and then do each one next week. After all, the more demand there is for you, the better you will be paid, regardless of your industry.
You don’t have to have made millions by the time you are 26 to be considered smart, and you don’t have to run a 4.4 40 yard dash to have your skills in demand.
-T.I.M.
